Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-08
MORE OF THE FETEs,
A Third Letter From Rev. Theodore Hop-
kins on the Florence Celebration.

My last two letters sketched these re
joicings as far as "unveiling the west
front of the great cathedral" here, on Nav
18th, thus completing its SOB years after it
was founded also spoke of the fine idea
carried out by the Florentines, in Selling
the occasion to do honor to Rosslni and
Donatello. | now take up the story at the
point just after the falling of the great
veil, when the multitude hailed their new
possession with shouts of Joy.
At . o'clock the vast building was
opened, and the Archbishop and clergy
and choirs once more welcomed the peo-
pie, to hear the solemn rendering of the Te
Deum to Almighty God in grateful wor-
ship. For ages past this hymn to the Trim
ity 1--WE praise thee O God, we acknowl-
edge thee to be the Lord" has been the
great Thanksgiving of the nations, and
long did the mighty congregation stand.
and patiently did they await the close,
and reverently did they receive the bene-
diction.
On the evening of this day occurred the
universal illumination of the city, already
described in previous letter, when the
great dome of the cathedral had its eight
mighty longitudinal ribs covered with
hundreds of candles, (outslde) and was
above all things conspicuous, and when
from s to l p,m., the very heavens were lit
up for three miles around, a fitting conclu-
sion to make the 18th of May, in the an
nails of Florence, famous forever
On Saturday, May 14th, was the
elaborate historical procession" King
Humbert and Queen Margharita sat un-
der royal canopy on the Lanzi balcony
SpQnOr1Q q har =
remarkable assemblage filed by, from 2
O'Clock till 8, and they kept the CITY in a
ferment as they paraded the principal
streets after saluting their majesties. The
procession was headed by the old arstoc-
racies. The old noble families were there.
The Strozzi, the Genori, the Corseni and
the Torrigiani end others, whose grand
palaces yet ornament Florence. Repre-
sentatives of all the varieties of costumes.
armOr, and accoutrements used in the
reign Of Amadeus VI of Savoy in l347. IAN
ancestor of King Humbert's) were there
also knights, lancers, cross bowmen, her
aids, plkemen, archers and standard bear
ers, were in the armour and costumes of
all the five centuries since his date No
wonder that the interest was intense to
see passing in review $40 years in three
hours of single day. This display proved
a stronger attraction than the unwilling
of the cathedral itself and all the more so
because it spread itself, by its march, into
every quarter of the city.
On Monday, May Ii, the cathedral was
once more brought to the front" A full
high mass, composed by Cherubini whose
superb and classic marble monument is in
santa Croce), was magniticently rendered
by the cholrS and choruSeS and orchestra
combined. This was their last and crown
ing public performance. That chorus Of
1000 voices and that orchestra of 200 of the
professional musicians OF all Europe, out
ba y ROB
Swallowing the ten thousand g. hered
there, echoed back again and again the
noble waves of sound, solemnlty, majesty
and devotion united their power, archltec-
ture, color, form and music added their
force. The associations of centuries of
past history clustered around and .eemed
to fill he air and before all these nflu-
ences that mighty host bent as one man
Not many such hours do our lives afford.
The Palazzo Necchio has a larg- room
called the hall of the 500" On the even
ing of the next day it was filled by gay
attendance at the historical ball, given
with the king and queen present AS the
men of the city had exemplitied the armor
and accoutrements of the ancient OF days
in the historical procession, so now fair
and noble ladies outvied each other in cos
tunes of one to two hundred years years
old. Many court dress, once worn by
duchess, which in its pristine newpess WAS
seen by the gloomy light of medieval ball
room candles of the 18th or 18th centuries,
when only princelngs ruled in Florence
nOlC came forth from their closets, (as
precious heirlooms). They greeted the
glance of the monarch of United Italy,
and showed their lustrous tints in the
brlliance of electric lights-a most impress
sive contrast truly.
On Wednesday the 18th, the square
called Zecca Necchia had been boarded up
to enclose 10000 people. Seats therein
soil or fn a han
the great medieval tournament WAS to
come Off Oh shades of feudal days
were we to see before our very eyes some
more visitors from the misty past That
was the idea Fair ladies'; brave and
lusty knights gallantry chvalry an
cient armor; prancing horses visors
drawn fayors worn the lance in rest
the gauntlet thrown down, and accepted,
the clashing steel the vanquished the
victor the beauteous one, crowning her
successful knight all the quaint scenes
of the joust and tilt sweet with the romance
of our youthful readings were promised us
They then seemed the gliding and the
poetry of life. SO the multitude thought, on
MAY 18th and were in force once more.
For the first time the police were called on
to keep order, whichlthey could not do
for the pressure to see, would not be CON
trolled, and the enclosure was SO invaded
that thousands more enjoyed the sight
than at first seemed possible, and for three
hours the combatants were cheered 10 the
echo
All along the FIESTA from May the 3rd,
there were other side shows to please the
people, which we did not see. There were
pigeon shootings, horse races and rifle
matches, vast horticultural exhibition,
also one of photography and an immense
show of building materiel which last was
opened by the king and queen. There
were moreover bicycle races on land and
rowing matches on the river Arno. Some
thing, you see, to suit every taste.
But the fire works They surpassed
description. From s to 9l2 each night for
five nights, they fairly ragged in the clear,
black, calm sky. But OF these | must
speak in my next, when | will conclude
the subject of the fetes in Florence.
THEODORE \. HOPKINS.